The objective of most card games is for one player to obtain a winning hand against other players or the dealer of the cards. The winning hand is usually defined by ranking, that is, by comparing the configuration of the cards in the hands of each player to the hands of other players in accordance with established rules for the game. For example, in a poker game, hands are ranked in ascending order as follows: high cards, one pair, two pairs, three of a kind, straight, flush, full house, four of a kind, and straight flush.
The ranking of the card hand as configured in turn depends on the values or suits of the cards held by the player. In such games, there is a certain probability, or chance, of obtaining a card configuration which results in a winning hand. In a game for wager, the winning hand entitles the player to a reward. As in all games involving wagering, the player pays for the probability associated with obtaining the potential reward. Probability and the potential reward are the key factors in defining the value of the card hand. Because of the potential rewards and the chance-orientation arising out of the laws of probability, card players, particularly those who are risk-oriented, find such games exciting.
The excitement of a card game will be enhanced if the player is offered an opportunity to change the odds of winning. There are card games which allow a player to replace some or all of the existing cards in his hand with new cards to be drawn from the remaining deck of cards. This changes the odds of winning associated with the card configuration, since as new cards are drawn from the remaining deck of cards the probability of obtaining a particular desirable card can increase. However, without a commensurate increase in the expected return to the dealer or the casino, a card game offering the player repetitive opportunities to replace his cards is not always desirable. Since the probability of drawing a particular card increases when additional cards are drawn, the risk exposure for the dealer will also be increased. At the same time, repetitive replacement of cards is time consuming.
Thus, it has always been desirable to condition repetitive drawing of cards on additional wagers being placed. The player is attracted to such challenges of wagering in the hope of winning a disproportionate larger amount in reward. Ideally, as each drawing of a card is offered, the wagering (monetary) amount should be increased so as to offset the risk exposure to the dealer and for him to derive additional wagering income. There are variations of poker games in which the opportunity for the player to replace the cards is offered for an additional wager. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,022, a casino-type draw poker game is described. In this game, the player is dealt five cards and, at his option, up to five cards can be replaced from the remaining deck to form a second hand. This completes the first round of card playing, whereupon the card hand will be ranked according to a posted odds chart to determine whether the player has won or lost. In addition, the player is asked to wager for an opportunity to draw a sixth card so as to make the best poker hand from the sixth card, provided that the sixth card creates the possibility of the resulting hand having a rank of straight or higher.
The drawback of this poker method is that the offer to place a second round of wagering will be made only when there is a possibility that the card hand at the end of the first round can achieve a rank of straight or higher. This method limits the number of second rounds that additional wagering can be offered since the number of combinations for such a possibility is limited.
In addition, from the reading of the first card hand, any possible winning combinations will be obvious to the player before he places the second wager. This certainty detracts from excitement, since excitement can only be derived from the player's risking his second wager in the hope of obtaining a particular card from the remaining deck of cards.
Accordingly, there is a need to encourage repetitive wagering which will not be limited by the ranking of the preceding card hand. Further, it would be advantageous to enhance the excitement in a card game by offering card hand combinations which are not easily predictable.